Tiziano Mazzoni Ghemme 2016

Mazzoni’s organically grown Ghemme expresses all that makes the Alto Piemonte such an exciting winegrowing zone, and 2016 is going to go down in history as one of the greatest Piedmont vintages of the modern era. The Mazzoni family has a long winegrowing history in Ghemme, one of the Alto Piemonte’s most noble and hallowed terroirs. Today, Tiziano Mazzoni farms a total of eleven acres in Ghemme, and he is quickly gathering unanimous critical acclaim. Reflecting a transparent rusty, amber-rimmed garnet robe, the 2016 Ghemme dei Mazzoni offers notes of licorice, rose petals, tobacco, leather, and pink peppercorns that infuse the wine’s soil-tinged kernel of smoky red plum and pie cherry fruit. Deep and serious yet still approachable at this young age, the wine deftly employs Nebbiolo’s tannins and brisk acidity to complement its kernel of tart cherry fruit and Ghemme’s mineral-rich soil expression. Notes of red cherry, pomegranate, and red plum fruit linger on the long and satisfying finish, leaving a sprinkling of clay dust and volcanic minerals. Pair this pure, versatile, and unusually affordable Ghemme now and over the coming fifteen years with classic hearty Piemontese cuisine like porcini risotto, egg-rich tajarin with a rich sugo, salumi, pork sausages, and grilled strip steaks.